Have $100,000? Bid on Elvis Presley’s crypt
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It’s not uncommon to find a treasure trove of music memorabilia for sale at Julien’s Auctions. It is pretty rare, however, to find a rock star’s formerly occupied tomb. And one formerly occupied by Elvis Presley? That’s one of a kind.
Among the finds up for auction beginning June 23 is a crypt that briefly housed the body of Presley after his death in 1977. The crypt is located at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, Tenn., and was home to Presley’s body for just under two months, after which time he was moved across town to his final resting place at his Graceland estate.
Presley’s stay in the mausoleum was limited as the family awaited permits to move the bodies of Presley and his mother, Gladys, to the gardens at Graceland. The crypt has remained empty since Presley’s stay, and a statue of the king of rock and roll commemorates his time there. It is currently in the control of the cemetery.
A spokeswoman for Julien’s Auctions has not yet responded to requests for more information, but bidding starts at $100,000, according to the item’s page online, where one can also view more pictures. The crypt, according to press materials from Julien’s Auctions, ‘lies within the granite and marble mausoleum,’ and winning bidders will also get a memorial inscription and use of Forest Hill’s chapel.
The crypt is but one way Julien’s Auctions will allow fans -- at least those with money to spend -- to connect with fallen pop icons. Also up for bidding is a spare John Lennon suit from ‘A Hard Day’s Night,’ estimated to be worth between $4,000 and $6,000, as well as the robe that Amy Winehouse wore in the video for ‘Rehab,’ which has an estimated worth of between $15,000 and $17,000.
There’s plenty of Presley-related memorabilia as well. Julien’s Auctions will make available a letter penned by Michael Jackson to Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie, as well as a 14 karat diamond-accentuated gold medallion given to Presley in Vegas. The handwritten Jackson note is estimated to be worth $800 to $1,200 while the jewel has a value exceeding $25,000.
Bidding takes place starting June 23 and can be done online.
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-- Todd Martens
